Binding



'Oct 5, 1948. C, E, EMMER 2,450,785

BINDING Filed June 16, 1944 ZNKENZ 275 Crles EEmer tudinal edges provided with a plurality of spacedl arcuate ngers I3 that curve upwardly away from Y the strip I2 and have their upper portions or tips,V

extending towards each other but not in contact, similar to the arrangement of the ngers I I of the other strip I0. The strip I2 is curved con.-

v 4 the two members of the binding have been rotated in one direction or the other the boss, or rib I6, will be engaged in one of said recesses or notches I'I to maintain the rotatable binding members against movement. Since the binding strips r backbones I8 and I2 are inherently flexible the material will readily yield to accommodate passage'of the rib `from one notch to the other.

For the purpose of preventing the tips of the :fingers on one side of a gap abutting the end edges of the tips of the lingers on the opposite side of the gap when the binding members are being rotated to close the gaps, provision is made vwhereby the linger tips moving towards each other will escape end edge engagement with each other during the closing of the gaps. This is accavo-convex between its margins, which curva.

ture constitutes a continuation of the curve of the lingers I3.

The curvature of the outside surfaces of the fingers I3 and their supporting'strip I2 approxi-A matesthe curvature of the inside surfaces of the lingers II on the strip VIB. This permits the strip' I2, together with itslingers I3, to be inserted or telescoped V into the 'skeleton-like'` structure com-' When so that a linger I I on one edge of the strip Ill will cover the gap between the tips of the adla` cent inner fingers I 3 carried by the other strip I2.V Similarly, in this position the gaps between thetips of lingers ll will be closed by portions of the adjacent inner fingers I 3.

' Between the last two lingers II at each end of the binding the backbone strip I is bent laterally-inward to provide stops or abutments I4-I4, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. Also it will be seen 'that the width of thevadjacent end portions of the backbone strip I2 are less than the distance Abetween oppositelyidisposed stops or abutments la. Thus the relative rotation ofthe strips IIJ and I2 together with their respective lingers II and I3 is denitely limitedin both directions of movement. These stops I4,'as seen in Figure l, project between adjacent spaced pairs of lingers ,I I and I3 and thus prevent longitudinal movement' of one backbone' independently ofjthe other.v

Suitable means are provided for maintaining the members of the binding at either limit of rotational movement. This arrangement is clearly shown in Figures l and 4, wherein it willv be seen that `preferably both ends of the backbone strip I2 project beyond the ends of the backbone strip l (l. These extended end portions provide operating elements I-IS that may be conveniently grasped by the fingers of one hand while holding the backbone strip Ill with the other hand'and then rotatably moving the two members of the binder the one with respect to the other.'l Each of these operating linger grips I5-I 5 has a longitudinal lbead I6 that projects awayfrom orbeyond. the outer surface of thebackbone strip I2, and each bead is adapted to engage in one or the other of the notches or recesses I'I-I'l in the adjacent end portionof the outer backbone strip Il). .The notches or recesses I1 at each end of the, backbone I0 are spaced apartso that when complished in the present instance by reducing the thicknesses of the linger tips as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and identiiied by the numeral I8. conceivably, this same function may be accomplished'. merely by reducing the thickness Vof-the linger tips I3 in one row, as shown at I8a in Figure 6, so that when the inner row of lingers are movedl in the direction of the arrow to close the gap between the telescoped pair of linger tips this reduced portion I 8a wil pass beneath the confronting edge of the tip lof the outer linger II.

From the foregoing it will be apparent I-haveprovided a novel binding for loose sheets that comprises two leaf holding members each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced split rings that are arranged in nested relation to each other whereby either member may be rotatably moved ina-one direction so that each ring will close the split injits continguous ring and pass through the holes in the loose sheets,- and when movement is in the ,opposite direction all of the splits will be coincident andthe binder will be open for inserting theloose sheets.V During the-operation of the binder it is not necessary to llex or spread the sides of the rings with tools, and when the binder (which is of thermoplastic flexible material)Y is closed the nested or telescoped rings or inner and outer sets of lingers alford reinforcement for each other.

While I have shown a particular embodiment or my; invention it will, of course, be understood that-, i do n-ot wish to be limited thereto. since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications asfall within the true spirit and scope of my invention. f

l claim as my invention:

-1.,- A binding comprising a backbone, a plurality of lingers extending from opposite sides of said backbone and being arcuately curved in opposite directions to provide a row of'split rings having Lgaps in spaced relation from the backbone, means for closing the gaps in said split rings including aligned pairs of opposed elements sliding on the inner faces of the split rings and having aligned gaps therebetween, and means* connectingportions of saidelements remotefrom saidgaps whereby relative rotational movement between'said elementsand said lingers to align and niisalign the-gaps of the lingers and the gaps of they-elements will selectively open and close the ing from the opposite side 'of ythe backbone to dene between the segments a gap spaced from the backbone, said members being arranged in telescoped relation with the rings of one member nested within the rings of the other member, and means for rotating one element relative to the other element for aligning and misaligning the gaps in the split rings to open and close the binding.

3. A binding comprising two telescoped members each having a backbone and a plurality of spaced split rings positioned transversely thereon, said members adapted for relative rotative movement to effect opening and closing of the splits in the rings; and means on one backbone disposed between spaced rings on the other backbone for limiting said relative rotative movement, said means also maintaining said members against longitudinal movement independent of eachother.

4. A binding comprising telescoped members each having a backbone and a plurality of split rings extending therefrom in spaced relation to each other and adapted for relative rotational movement, the rings of the outer member arranged in registry with the rings of the inner member; stops on the outer backbone between adjacent rings thereof and engaged between the adjacent rings of the inner member, said stops adapted to be engaged by the adjacent edges of the inner backbone for limiting relative rotational movement between said members in both directions and for preventing Arelative longitudinal movement thereof.

5. A binding comprising two members each having a backbone and a plurality :of split rings extending therefrom, said members arranged in telescoped relation with the respective rings in registration and adapted for relative -rotational movement to open and close the split rings; nger grips projecting from the ends of the inner backbone beyond the ends of the outer backbone; an outwardly projecting boss on said nger grips; and seats at the ends of sai-d outer backbone adapted to be alternately engaged by said boss to maintain the members at either limit of their rotational movement with respect to each other.

6. A binding comprising a pair of telescoped members, each having a backbone and a plurality of arcuately curved ngers along opposite edges thereof that are arranged with the tips of oppo- 6 site fingers spaced from each other to provide gaps therebetween, said members adapted for relative rotation for moving the tips of the ngers on one side of a backbone past the tips of the opposing fingers on the opposite side iof the other backbone thereby to close the gaps between the nger tips, the reverse movement of said members being adapted to move the respective iingers to open said gaps; oblique surfaces on certain of said linger tips for facilitating movement of said certain ringer tips past the tip ends of opposing fingers; manually operable finger grips at the ends of one backbone that project beyond the ends of the other backbone; stops for limiting the aforesaid relative rotational movement of said members; seats on one of said members; and a boss on the other of said members alternately positioned in said seats for maintaining said members at either limit of said relative rotational movement.

7. A binding comprising telescoped members, one of said members having an elongated backbone, and a plurality of spaced rings arranged transversely thereon, said rings having gaps therein; the other member having an elongated backbone engage-d with the first backbone and having a plurality of spaced rings arranged in registry with the rst rings, said second rings having gaps therein substantially equal to the gaps in said rst rings, the rings of the respective members being adapted to close said gaps upon relative movement of said members in one direction and to register said gaps upon relative rotation of said members in 'another direction. CHARLES EDWARD EMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATESy PATENTS Number Name Date 330,967 Dunn Nov. 24, 1885 1,398,034 Mero e Nov. 22, 1921 2,180,892 Adams Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 525,486 Great Britain 1940 733,699 France 1932 

